A Message from CMM's Executive Director |
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"Let America be America Again"
Saturday, November 21, 2020
Rev. Dr. Rodney L. Petersen
This poem by Langston Hughes says it loud and says it clear:
O, yes,
I say it plain,
America never was America to me,
And yet I swear this oath—
America will be!
In the face of all tyrants, frauds and petulant would-be kings, let us celebrate honest effort in the interest of repair and renewal. CMM asks in this time of raging pandemic, racial revelation, and a benefits cliff that we remind ourselves of what was said in another society going through crisis, that the concept of ubuntu, which Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu defined as “I am, because we are,” is fundamental to finding our way to the Beloved Community envisioned by Martin Luther King. There are many roads by which we each may find our way.
Join us for "Sharing Our Stories: Towards an Inclusive American Narrative," the fall fundraiser of Cooperative Metropolitan Ministries (CMM), featuring Rev. Eugene Rivers (Seymour Institute), Rev. Dr. Nancy Taylor (Old South Church), and Jean-Luc Pierite (North American Indian Center of Boston). We have put together a panel on this topic, to be moderated by Dr. Kevin Peterson of the New Democracy Coalition, on December 6, 5:00 – 6:30 PM. We are encouraging hors d’oeuvres and drinks during the program and then dinner in family settings after the program. Make it a safe social occasion! This event falls on the Sunday prior to the UN Declaration of Human Rights Day, December 10. For further information and to register: go to cmmfall2020.eventbrite.com
As we enter the coming holiday season marked by seasonal celebrations, let us be mindful that “I am, because we are.”
Please forward the above invitation to your friends and contacts and congregational newsletters!
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Sharing Our Stories: Towards an Inclusive American Narrative
CMM Fall 2020 Fundraiser
Sunday, Dec. 6, 2020, 5 - 6:30pm
Online Via Zoom
CMM will hold its fall fundraising event by Zoom on the topic, Sharing Our Stories: Towards an Inclusive American Narrative. The event will feature the Rev. Eugene F. Rivers (founder and director, Seymour Institute for Black Church and Policy Studies), Rev. Dr. Nancy S. Taylor (Senior Pastor and CEO, Old South Church), and Jean-Luc Pierite (President, North American Indian Center of Boston). They will be speaking to redefining the American narrative and invite your participation in the Q&A following.
We are all aware not only of the multiple narratives that are given voice today, but also of the need for a unifying vision that enables us to live and prosper together. The three persons on this panel, to be moderated by Dr. Kevin C. Peterson, are prophetic voices of people who walk the streets of Boston with us each day. Each plays a role in defining the nature of our city.
We encourage participation with your own drinks and hors d’oeuvres during the program and that you celebrate with a seasonal dinner in family settings after the program, in conversation around the topic of what it means to be an American. This event also falls on the Sunday prior to United Nations Declaration of Human Rights Day, December 10, lending gravity to this occasion. We hope this will be both a time of deep reflection and spiritual introspection in this time of uncertainty we face as a global community.
- CMM Sponsors and Supporter Ticket holders will be listed on the homepage of CMM's website.
- All sales will end approximately 1hr before the event.
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If you wish to give a secure online donation through a different method, please follow this link: tinyurl.com/givetocmm
Cost:
Ticket Levels:
- CMM Supporter Ticket - $100
- General Admission Ticket - $60
- Student/Low-Income Ticket - $25
Sponsorship Levels:
- Platinum Level Sponsor (includes 10 registrations) - $5000
- Gold Level Sponsor (includes 10 registrations) - $1000
- Silver Level Sponsor (includes 5 registrations) - $500
- Bronze Level Sponsor (includes 2 registrations) - $250
Program Schedule:
- 4:45pm - Pre-Music to Set the Mood (Login early to gather with us!)
- 5:00pm - Opening Remarks - Introduction to the Afternoon's Theme
- 5:05pm - Dr. Kevin C. Peterson, CMM Co-Vice Chair & Afternoon's Moderator
- 5:10pm - Speakers Series (10min each)
- 5:40pm - Inter-Speaker Q&A
- 5:55pm - Audience Q&A
- 6:25pm - Closing
Afternoon's Moderator:
Dr. Kevin C. Peterson
Dr. Kevin C. Peterson is founder and executive director of The New Democracy Coalition, a non-partisan and non-profit organization that focuses on civic engagement in Massachusetts and across the United States. The New Democracy Coalition is in residence at the College for Public and Community Service at University of Massachusetts, Boston. Dr. Peterson studied philosophy and politics at Boston University and is currently a Senior Fellow at the Center for Collaborative Leadership at the University of Massachusetts in Boston. He has also served as a senior researcher at the William Monroe Trotter Institute in Boston. Dr. Peterson has served as a Fellow at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the Urban Studies Department in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He has lectured across the U.S. and in the continent of Africa, including the countries of Mali, Senegal and Morocco.
Featured Speakers:
Rev. Eugene F. Rivers III
Reverend Eugene F. Rivers III, a former Sommerville gang member from Philadelphia, was educated at Harvard where he studied philosophy and history of science. He was the subject of a Newsweek cover story in 1998 and was prominently featured in a second cover story on the AIDS crisis in Africa two years later. Gustav Niebuhr in the New York Times identified Reverend Rivers as the Bush administration’s point man on faith-based and community service. He is the founder and director the Seymour Institute for Black Church and Policy Studies and is a widely published writer and community activist who has lectured internationally. He also advised both Bush Administrations and the Clinton Administration on their faith-based initiatives and in the foreign policy arena regarding the AIDS crisis in Africa. He has provided commentary for ABC (Prime Time, Nightline, and ABC Morning News), NBC (Hardball, Morning Joe and MSNBC), CBS (CBS Evening News, Sixty Minutes II), PBS (Charlie Rose, Bill Moyers Show) and Fox Television (The O’Reilley Factor). He lives and works among the poor in inner-city Boston with his wife, Dr. Jacqueline C. Rivers.
Rev. Dr. Nancy S. Taylor
Rev. Dr. Nancy S. Taylor has served since 2005 as the 20th senior minister and chief executive officer of Old South Church. The dual nature of this role reflects Old South’s dual identity as both a thriving urban church, and an historic leadership institution in Boston (and, as such, steward of storied events and personages, of a National Historic Landmark Building, as well as collections of rare books and silver). The Church, recognized in 2011 as a United Church of Christ (UCC) “Center for Excellence,” has grown in its vocation as a teaching church and developed an exciting Vision for the 21st Century in which it is engaged. The Church has exercised ecumenical and interfaith leadership, for instance, in hosting worship services on the inauguration of Deval Patrick as Governor, convening the leadership who planned services and events on the tenth anniversary of 9/11, addressing growing instances of Islamaphobia, and ministering to the city following the bombings at the Boston Marathon Finish Line. Nancy studied at Macalester College (B.A.), Yale Divinity School (M.Div.) and Chicago Theological Seminary (D. Min.). Before her call to Old South Church, she served as Minister and President of the Massachusetts Conference of the UCC (2001-2005). During this time, Nancy was instrumental in introducing the legislation making clergy mandated reporters of suspected child abuse; worked to establish a public voice for the UCC; supervised a $1.5 million Lilly Endowment grant for pastoral excellence program; hosted Freedom Schooner Amistad’s visit to Boston Harbor; and worked with inter-religious leaders in the aftermath of 9/11.
Jean-Luc Pierite
Originally from New Orleans, Louisiana, Jean-Luc Pierite now resides in Jamaica Plain. Prior to his election to the Board of Directors at the North American Indian Center of Boston, Jean-Luc was also elected to the Community Linguist seat of the Advisory Circle for CoLang for the period 2016-20. The Institute on Collaborative Language Research or "CoLang" is designed to provide an opportunity for community language activists and linguists to receive training in community-based language documentation and revitalization. Currently, Jean-Luc volunteers with his Tribe's Language and Culture Revitalization Program which is a collaboration with Tulane University in New Orleans. This program is based on tradition passed from Jean-Luc's great-grandfather Joseph Alcide Pierite, Sr., last traditional chief and medicine man of the Tunica-Biloxi. The Tribe is an amalgamation of members from the Central Louisiana communities of: Tunica, Biloxi-Choctaw, Ofo, and Avoyel. Jean-Luc has a B.A. in Humanities with a co-major in Mass Communication and Japanese from Dillard University in New Orleans. He also earned an A.S. in Video Game Design from Full Sail University in Orlando, Florida. Jean-Luc currently is the International Procurement and Logistics Manager for The Fab Foundation. The Fab Foundation was formed in 2009 to facilitate and support the growth of the international fab lab network as well as the development of regional capacity-building organizations. The Fab Foundation is a US non-profit 501(c) 3 organization that emerged from MIT’s Center for Bits & Atoms Fab Lab Program. Jean-Luc's previous positions include: Internet Marketing Specialist for Mohegan Sun, and Graphic Artist for Paragon Casino Resort. He was elected to the Board of Directors in 2017.
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At My Neighbor’s Table Series:
What Would Our Communities Look Like If We Valued Essential Workers?
Sunday, December 13, 2020
5:00 - 6:30pm
Event is Free, space is limited
Event Zoom link will be sent to registrants on Sunday, December 13th when registration closes at 12pm.
COVID-19 has highlighted racial and economic disparities affecting the essential workforce. We will explore who are essential workers and why there are high levels of inequity in how we value and compensate different groups of essential workers.
Recommended Pre-Reading:
Presenters:
Smriti Rao, PhD
- Professor of Economics and Global Studies, Assumption University, Worcester, MA
- Studies the intersection of gender and class inequalities
Diego Low, MetroWest Workers Ctr, Framingham
- MetroWest Workers Center is an immigrant worker-led organization based in the MetroWest area of Boston, which organizes to defend and expand the labor, civil, and human rights of all workers.
Sponsors:
Cooperative Metropolitan Ministries, Baha’i Community in Needham, Christ Episcopal Church, Congregational Church of Needham UCC, First Parish in Needham Unitarian Universalist, Temple Beth Shalom, Equal Justice Needham, Inclusive Westwood, League of Women Voters Needham, League of Women Voters Westwood/Walpole/Dedham, Needham Human Rights Committee, Needham Diversity Initiative, Neighbors In Action, Progressive Needham, Progressive Dedham/Norwood/Westwood, World of Wellesley
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Upcoming Community Events |
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Nothing About Us Without Us: Black Women Speak
Monday, November 23, 2020, 7 - 8:30pm
Join Savina J. Martin and Stacey Borden, raised in the under-resourced community of Roxbury, as they share their stories and that of their community, past and present, along with their visions for the future. Each experienced trauma in different ways due to economic inequity and abusive policing practices -- and each emerged with a deep understanding and determination to demand resources and change, to re-imagine thriving communities, confront wrongful convictions, and to advocate for clemency and supportive, healing re-entry for women and their families.
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Film screening of CLIMATE WARRIORS & virtual debate on climate activism
Tuesday, November 24, 2020 12 – 1:15pm
The Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung Washington, DC in collaboration with Beyond Nuclear, Brandeis University, Deutsches Haus at NYU , Goethe Institut Boston, and the Penn Program in Environmental Humanities at the University of Pennsylvania cordially invite you to the US launch of the film CLIMATE WARRIORS. Watch the documentary for free, and join us for a virtual transatlantic discussion on climate activism on Tuesday, November 24, 2020 at 12:00 pm to 1:15 pm with the following speakers:
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Carl-A. Fechner, film maker of CLIMATE WARRIORS (based in Germany)
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Ganna Gladkykh, clean energy transition expert at the European Energy Research Alliance (based in Brussels)
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Marlow Baines, youth director of Earth Guardians (based in Boulder, CO)
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climate activist from Sunrise Movement (tbc)
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Moderation: Sabine von Mering, professor and director of Center for German and European Studies at Brandeis University (based in Waltham, MA)
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Black Up Lift! Black Politics! Support The Faneuil Hall Boycott
Saturday, November 28, 2020, 1pm
Nubian Square
Black Poetics have always possessed the Subversive Agenda of Freedom--From Phyllis Wheatley to Amiri Baraka to Claudine Rankine. Join The New Democracy Coalition On Sat. Nov. 28th, 1 PM Nubian Square. The Boston Poetics are emerging with words of Black Political and Social Justice Uplift in Boston. Calling all Poets #slavetradershall #boycottfaneuilhall #changethename
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Journal of Interreligious Studies (JIRS) and the Association of Interreligious/Interfaith Studies (AIIS) Annual Meeting
Monday, November 30, 2020, 1 - 4pm
Join us for a virtual celebration of the Journal of Interreligious Studies' new publication. Editors past and present, several of the book's contributors, and friends of the journal will lead a lively conversation about engaging interreligiously in a time of upheaval. Panels will focus on Dialogue & Resistance and Interreligious Education in a Time of Pandemic followed by time for small group discussion. Speakers include: Russ Arnold, Paula Green, Jennifer Howe Peace, Celene Ibrahim, Luis Menéndez Antuña, Rachel Mikva, Mary Elizabeth Moore, Lucinda Mosher, Allison Ralph, Or Rose, Irvin Scott, Axel Takacs, and Funlayo Wood.
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Psalms: Interreligious Interpretations and New Compositions with Dues Ex Musica
Thursday, December 10, 2020, 7 - 8:30pm
Join the BTI Consortium on December 10th for an Interreligious Musical Experience! We are teaming up with Devlyn Case and the musicians and theologians from Deus Ex Musica to host a night or music and learning. The event will be held via Zoom. More details will be available soon, but for now, check out the Deus Ex Musica website to learn more about what they do.
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Help Serve the Unhoused This Fall & Winter |
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Interested in Helping in a New Homeless Shelter in Cambridge?
Solutions at Work, Inc, a Cambridge-based non-profit serving unhoused persons, is collecting resumes of persons interested in taking one or more shifts at the 24/7 shelter. Pay rate would be at least $17/hour. We are looking for compassionate persons who can show respect and support for persons experiencing homelessness. For questions or to give your resume, please email Alice Kidder at flintkiddr@aol.com. A contract is to be negotiated with the Department of Housing and Community Development, and hiring will begin as soon as that is complete. Experience in a shelter setting and/or working with unhoused persons is preferred. Job descriptions are available upon request. Thank you for your help on this important work.
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Winter Clothing Drive for the MANNA Community
The need for warm clothing this winter is higher than usual for unhoused neighbors on and around Boston Common. Many organizations that usually give out clothing are either not operating or not coming into the city to distribute items, due to COVID. So, MANNA is stepping into the gap!
They invite your donations of new or cleaned, gently-used men's and women's coats, boots, hats, gloves, new long underwear, new regular underwear, and new white socks.
You can order for delivery to the cathedral (attn: MANNA) from this Amazon list, or drop off by driving up to the cathedral and handing items to MANNA staff at these times:
Sundays between 9 and 11 am;
Mondays and Tuesdays between 9 am to 2 pm.
Thanksgiving, can you space a pie or two?
They will be accepting pie donations for this year's MANNA Thanksgiving. Stay tuned for more details on how you can help with this year's Thanksgiving meal.
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Some Additional Resources to Check Out
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